Record stamper life

That sounds about right from what I have heard. However, in any case, getting a pressing done when the stamper is not as worn is better. That is easier said than done, since the pressings from a stamper all have the same markings in the dead wax (inner groove area). Unless the manufacturer actually marks the record label in order of the pressing, I think it is about impossible to tell the difference. There are some limited releases that have a small number of copies made with a stamper, before it is changed. However, that makes them more expensive. I definitely have some records which are individually marked - like lithographs, but it isn't clear that the sequence actually represents the order of the pressing. I also have a fair number of test pressings, which should definitely be very early in a run. Decca uses a pink, hand written label for there test pressings.

There is one case with records with different markings from the same stamper. That is Decca and London records (only differentiated by the two labels). I have a personal theory about Decca and London pressings with identical stamper numbers. The Decca label (for UK consumption) was used for a smaller number of copies than the London label (used for US consumption). My guess is that first, the Decca plant at New Malden, which did the pressing, put the same type of label (Decca or London) on the first part of the run of records from one stamper, and then switched labels for the second part of the run. I think it is very likely that the Deccas came first (smaller numbers and for local consumption), and the Londons came second. This comes from my experience with listening to several Decca and London recordings for which I have multiple copies from the same stamper. The Decca labels always seem to be better, or at worst the same as the London labels. That would be true if the Deccas came first and one was comparing a recording pressed early in a run with a record pressed late in a run when the stamper was more worn. If the two records were both pressed near the switch over point, they would sound about the same. Anyway - it is my theory - I haven't met any Decca veterans of the New Malden pressing plant.

Larry

Stampers are also made from the mother (only one mother per lacquer) and the mother also degrades as more stampers are made. However, then you have to consider if record #800 from stamper #1 is better than record #801 which is the first of stamper #2. My guess is that the first of stamper #2 would be much, much better than the last from stamper #1.

It is extremely expensive to make low number of pressings per stamper. For example, with the Lyn Stanley album Potions, she changes stampers every 300 pressings in the numbered series (but didn't tell me how many pressings per stamper in the run-of-the-mill pressings). She told me that the numbered series cost her slightly more than twice what her run-of-the-mill pressings cost.

When I compared my #17 pressing to a run-of-the-mill pressing it was night and day. The run-of-the-mill was already superb, the #17 was very, very close to the Studio Master tape.

I have an autographed press #816 of Potions and it still sounds amazing. One of the closest sounding to tape records I have heard in a while. Dead silent pressing.

sombunya said:

I understand what you're saying about sequentially numbering the copies from a stamper.

It seems most of what I buy IS pressed in small numbers, 500 or less, but for some of the very popular artists where 10's of thousands are made, I wonder what their process involves.

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Generally, for popular records which did not have limited editions, you just take you chances - no real way of telling whether the record is early or late in the run with a particular stamper. You can identify stampers by looking in the dead wax, and if you know the codes of the different companies, you can tell whether it is an early stamper or later.

Vinyl dealers Tom Port and the late Ronn Penndorf both identified stampers for a particular record that sounded better and sold those used records for a big premium, usually $100 or more for records that you could otherwise buy for a few dollars. Port calls them "Hot Stampers" and he says he listens to a large number of different stampers for a particular record to determine which are the "Hot Stampers." Of course, he doesn't publish this information. It still doesn't give you the early or late in the run information, only that one stamper is better than another.

Here is some more information.

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/audiophiles-hunt-for-hot-stampers

Larry

astrotoy said:

Of course, he doesn't publish this information. [/url]

Larry

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he files out the matrix dead wax codes doesn't he ?

rockitman said:

he files out the matrix dead wax codes doesn't he ?

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I've never bought a record from him, but I seem to remember reading something like that. Since much of what he sells is pretty common and cheap to find used, that seems a reasonable approach to protect his time investment. On the other hand, Ronn Penndorf published the entire matrix information on his website for his multibuck used records.

Larry

rockitman said:

I have an autographed press #816 of Potions and it still sounds amazing. One of the closest sounding to tape records I have heard in a while. Dead silent pressing.

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You don't have press #816. You have sleeve #816. For all you know you have #310 off that stamper. Or #6 or ? No way to know. Sleeves are printed and numbered by a different company or plant.

Lyn Stanley is one dedicated artist. She told me that when they pressed, she was there and worked with the RTI folks. They changed stampers before any deterioration and she said that the first 1000 they changed stampers around 300 to 400. So, you may very well have #10 off that stamper. The sleeves were printed by another company, but they inserted the LPs and numbered the sleeves at RTI - strictly in order.

I got an autographed #631....

Try asking here:

http://www.lathetrolls.com/#19435

I just bought the 3 new RCA Living Stereo releases (two Heifetz and one Munch BSO) done by Acoustic Sounds and pressed by QRP. The sticker on the outer wrap says that these audiophile pressings are limited to no more than 1000 per stamper.

Larry